Yoga La Source

Deepen Your Feeling of Love through Bhakti Yoga

starts Friday 22 march 2019 at 18:30

"The Self dwells in the heart. He is the source of love and may be known through love, not through thought. He is the goal of life. Attain this goal!" - Manduka Upanishad

This program will be taught in English.

In this age of over-intellectualization and discordance, cultivation of heart-based qualities such as Love is increasingly becoming a challenge. Yoga offers us a wonderful way out - Bhakti Yoga, which envisages living life as a sublime expression of unconditional Love towards everyone. Bhakti Yoga teaches us that we are Love at the core of our being and encourages us to express it in the daily as well as spiritual aspects of life. Balancing the qualities of the head and heart is essential to fully savor life. Bhakti Yoga is the path of connecting with, cultivating and expanding one's Heart to experience Universal Consciousness. It is highly recommended as the easiest means of finding inner peace, best suited for the current times of stress and strife at personal as well as global levels.

In this weekend of Bhakti Yoga-related workshops, Ram is going to take us through the fascinating landscape of Bhakti Yoga. We begin with an exploration of the ‘Bhakti Sutras’ by Narada, Ram will then tell us enchanting tales of ancient Bhakti Yogis from ‘Bhagavatam’. Practices of Bhakti Yoga through Kirtan and Mantra chanting as well as Puja follow next. The weekend culminates into Nada Yoga, finding one's inner core through the mellifluous sounds of Sitar!

Take them all for optimum benefit or mix and match to suit your availability.

Schedule

Day/Time

Activity

Friday

18:30-21:30

Bhakti Sutras of Narada

In this workshop, we are going to explore ‘Bhakti Sutras’, considered as the seminal work about Bhakti Yoga. The Bhakti Sutras was written by a great Bhakti Yogi Narada. Bhakti is nothing but unconditional Love. The Bhakti Sutras teaches us about unconditional Love and how to cultivate it. It also explains the nature, principles and practices of Bhakti as well as different approaches to connect with the Divine Within. We will chant some selected Sutras and also engage in Heart-expanding guided meditations in the session.

Saturday

9:00-12:00

Bhagavatam - Tales of Divine Love

Bhagavatam is a collection of the tales of Divine Love. Bhagavatam presents the stories of Bhakti Yogis who embodied unconditional Love in their day to day life. Listening to the stories of the Divine is one of the practices recommended to the practitioners of the Bhakti path. The ancient art of story-telling is almost a dying art today. Join us for a session of wondrous story telling and submerge yourself in the ocean of Divine Love. There will be energizing Mantra chanting and guided Meditations in the session.

Saturday

14:00-17:00

Revitalize yourself thru Kirtan and Mantra chanting

Kirtan and Mantra chanting is another practice in the path of Bhakti Yoga. Mantras help energize and center ourselves, calm the negative chatter of the mind, deal with addictions, improve self-image, break through obstacles in life and induce inner peace and harmony. Mantra chanting promotes concentration and leads to deep states of meditation. In this workshop, we will learn about the various Cosmic Energies, called ‘Devatas’, and accurate pronunciation of some energizing Mantras. This workshop involves music but no musical training is necessary for participants.

Sunday

9:00-12:00

Puja - connecting with the inner Divinity

The Sanskrit word ‘Puja’ is an acronym for ‘Purna Jagruti’ or complete awakening. Puja is a sacred ritual that combines Meditation, Mantras, Mudras and Pranayama into a very powerful, uplifting experience. Even though the Puja looks like an external ritual, it is actually an internal meditation. The purpose of the Puja is to transcend the sense of individual ego by surrendering it to the Divine and ultimately to merge into the Universal Consciousness. After the Puja is over, there will be a Mantra initiation to those who are interested. This will be followed by a ‘Spiritual Name’ ceremony, for those who are interested. Please feel free to bring any flowers and fruits to the Puja as per your convenience and wear loose clothing so you can sit on the floor comfortably.

Ram will also share practical tips about how one can perform a Puja oneself.

Join us for an energizing community celebration!

Sunday

14:00-17:00

Nada Yoga

Nada Yoga is one of the most effective ways to balance the Chakras, remove mental-emotional energy blockages, gently carry the mind to a tranquil state where inner healing becomes possible. Nada Yoga is a wonderful confluence of the science of Yoga, Mudras, Ayurveda, Astrology and the art of Music. It helps us rise above the cacophony of the negative thoughts in the mind, go deeper into the heart and discover the inexhaustible source of inner strength and peace there.

Here is a video of Ram explaining Nada Yoga during the workshop:

This workshop involves intermittent guided meditation to the accompaniment of the sacred sounds of live Sitar. Please dress comfortably.

Bliss guaranteed!

Preparation

Sattvic lifestyle throughout the weekend

As the process is to take us deep within ourselves, we ask participants to maintain a sattvic lifestyle throughout the weekend with light eating (salad, sprouts, sandwiches, soups, no spices, smoking, soda or coffee).

While the weekend progresses as an integrated whole and it is best to immerse yourself in the full program, you can still register for any of the individual sessions.

INFINY Membership fee

There is a 5 € membership fee if you have not participated in another INFINY asbl workshop in 2018 even if you are only attending a single session. The 5 € membership fee is necessary for insurance purposes.

Cancellation Policy

Payment is fully refundable less 20 Euros if cancellation is done no later than February 22nd. 50% lost if canceled by March 8th. If you cancel after March 8th, you may only be refunded if you are able to find a replacement for your place even if your cancellation is due to an illness.

Style: Nada Yoga

There is something sacred inside each one of us that vibrates in perfect harmony with the Universe. However, the cacophony of our thoughts prevents us from enjoying this inner harmony. Nada Yoga teaches us how to rise above this noise, go deeper into our heart and discover the inexhaustible source of inner peace and strength there.
Go to the Nada yoga page.

Teacher: Ram Vakkalanka

Ram Vakkalanka was born and brought up in India in a family dedicated to Yogic style of living. He grew up studying the Sanskrit language, BhagavadGita, Upanishads and chanting Mantras as a lifestyle. In his teens, Ram studied music through the Sitar, eventually stepping it up to Nada Yoga. It was in Canada that Ram met his spiritual Guru and that meeting changed his life completely. In 2010, Ram dedicated his life to spreading the sublime philosophy of Veda and Vedic sciences such as Astrology and Ayurveda. Ram travels around the world sharing his deep knowledge of Yogic philosophy, Sanskrit, Nada Yoga as well as Vedic sciences such as Ayurveda. His teachings are simple but profound, filled with current examples and humor. He has released 24 CDs in four languages, one DVD and an online course about the origin and evolution of Yoga. He has appeared on TV as well as radio on numerous occasions.
Go to Ram's page.

Location: Walferdange

25, rue Josy Welter, Walferdange. This warm and cozy setting provides an intimate and wonderful atmosphere for the practice of yoga. Easy to get to, with a bus stop 100 meters away and parking in the Mairie and the cemetery. Entrance is to the left of the house.
Go to the Walferdange page.